Device, adapter, tool, or the like to facilitate the manufacture of artificial fish lures



July 18, 1939. 'M EVANS 2,166,585

DEVICE, ADAPTER, TooL, OR THE LIKE To FACILITATE THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FISH LURES Filed Feb. 6, l

INVENTOR I Patented July 18, 1939 V UNITED. STATES PATENT-OFFICE- DEVICE, ADAPTER, TOOL, OR THE LIKE TO FACILITATE THE MANUFACTURE OF AR- TIFICIAL FISH LURES Merlin M. Evans, Bethesda, Md. Application February 6, 1937, Serial No. 124,523

7'Claims. (Cl. 431) This invention relates to the manufacture of Figure 4v is a perspective view of a modified artificial fish lures of that class known as flies. form of hackle holder in initial position on- Artificial flies are made by hand. During the hook. manufacture the fibers of the hackle first applied Figure 5 is a perspective view of the form of '5 to the hook stand out laterally all around the the invention shown in Figure 4. 5

, hook and must be held down in a clump out of Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showthe way while further work is being done, such ing a succeeding stage of assembling the parts. as applying a second hackle of a difi'erent color Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified to produce a bi-visible fly,,finishing bodies, when form of, the invention in which the diameter of adding tags and wings, shellacking, applying one of the tubes is reduced. 10

head varnish or cement, and so forth. Figure 8 is a perspective view of themodified All the work upon the fly, and especially tying form of the invention shown in Figure '7, apand winding. of the second hackle, is rendered plied endwise over the eye of the hook to hold 1 very difllcult by reason of the workman holding the hackle.

the first hackle back out of the way with one Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modified 15 hand leaving only one hand to wind the second form of the invention. hackle, or do other work such as tying knots and Figure 10 is a perspective view of another mod- -the like. Often the first hackle is mashed and ified form of the invention having a wire slot crushed to such an extent as to destroy the norcloser.

mal regularity of distribution of the fibers around Figure 11 is a perspective view of the hackle 20 the hook and the angular inclination of the holder shown in Figure 13 with the slot in the fibers to the hook. This loss of shape permits tube registering with the gap in the slot closer. the second hackle to be unevenly exposed through v Figure 12 is a perspective view of a modified large gaps in the first hackle which is undesirform of wire slot closer.

:5 able, and also the mossy appearance of the fin- Figure 13 is a perspective view of the tube of ishedv fly is objectionable. the hackle holder shown in Figure 14.

The present invention provides a process and Figure 14 is a perspective view of another modapparatus whereby the hackle first applied may ified form of wire slot closer. be conveniently held back out of the way while Referring now to the drawing in which like subsequent steps of manufacture of the fly are characters of reference designate similar parts taking place. The workman will thus have both in the various views, I0 designates a vise in which hands free to do all necessary work in finishing the hook Hv is held stationary during manuthe fly and in producing uniformity in appearfacture of the fly. ance not hitherto obtainable by the ordinary In practice the hacklelz of a fiy is applied method of manufacture. v by securing one end to the-hook near the eye, a 3

With the above and other objects in view the waxed thread l3 being used for this purpose. invention consists of certain novel details of con- The hackle is wrapped around the hook to disstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter pose the fibers of the hackle in an outstanding fully described and claimed, it being understood position. The other end of the hackle is then 40 that various modifications may be resorted to tied to the hook and the thread may be then 40' within the scope of the appended claims without placed in a spring clip H so as to be ready for departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the application of a second hackle, or tag, body,

the advantages of the invention. wings, or the like.

In the accompanying drawing forming part During all subsequent steps of manufacture, of this specification, thefirst hackle l2 must be held out of the way 45 Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the and to accomplish this purpose, one form of the hackle holder and a fly, the parts of the holder invention provides a hackle holder comprising being separated from each other to better illusa pair of tubes [5 and I6, one of which is teletrate the construction of the invention. scopically received within the other. Each tube 5 Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the has a longitudinal slot l1 and the slots of both '50 holder applied to the fly ready to be moved endtubes may be brought into registration so that wise over the hackle. the tubes, telescoped together, can be applied Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the laterally to the thread l3 and the hook I l. After holder in position to hold the hackleback out the thread and hook have passed through the .35 of the way. registering slots into the interior of the tube, the

of thehook, as shown in Figure 3. The fibersthus confined by the holder are out of the way of the operator's hands while subsequent steps of manufacture are being performed, as for example, applying a second hackle of a contrasting color to produce a bi-visible fly. The second hackle I8 is applied back of the first hackle by wrapping the hackle around the hook and tying the same securely in the same manner as the first hackle. If no further work is to be done upon the fly, the holder may now be detached by backing the same off the bundled first hackle l2 and rotating the tubes relatively to each other until the slots therein register whereupon the holder may be withdrawn laterally from the thread.

When the holder is removed the fibers of the first hackle instantly spring back to their normal outstanding position, and return to normal regularity of distribution around the hook and to normal angular inclination with respect to the hook. Thus the second hackle will be exposed through the first hackle uniformly when viewed from the direction of the eye of the hook. In use it will be found that the fly thus manufactured will retain its formation and appearance permanently since there are no mashed places in the first hackle to flatten out and bog down as is usually the case.

The holder may be formed of any light strong material such as metal, Celluloid, paper, or other material.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate a modified form of the invention. The holder in this instance comprises interfitting tubes l9 and 20, one of the tubes having a slot 2| to permit the tube be: ing passed laterally on to the hook I I. The other tube is formed of resilient material and is provided with a wide gap or slot 22 to receive a. portion of the side of the tube at the slot of the latter, as shown in Figure 5, and permit the tube 20 being sprung or snapped on to the tube. l9, as shown. in Figure 6, when the latter -is applied to the hook, as shown in Figure 4.

Another modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 7- and 8. In this form of the invention the hackle holder comprises a pair of tubes 23 and 24 each having respective slots 25 and 26. The tube 23 is provided with a flanged end wall 21 which is provided with an axial orifice 28 for the purpose of reducing the diameter of the tube atone end. The application of this holder to the hackle to bundle the hackle may be made in the same manner as above described in connection with the holder shown in Figure 1,' or if desired, the tubes may be first telescoped togethenand then applied over the eye of the hook to bundle the hackle toward the bendin the hook. Of' course, the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 may be applied over the eye of the hook also when desired. By thus applying the holder shellacking may be conveniently done near the eye of the hook. In Figure 9 there is shown another modified form of the invention, the hackle holder comprising a pair of slotted tubes 29 and 30 substantially duplicates of the above described tubes l5 and IS with the exception that the tube 29 is provided at one end with a grip 3| which promotes easy manipulation of the holder.

In the modified form of the-invention shown in Figure 10 the tube 40 is provided with a longitudinal slot 4| and also is provided with a circumferential groove 42 which is indented or pressed into the tube and terminates at the slot, as best shown in Figure 13.

A wire slot closer 43 is mounted to rotate in the groove, the, slot closer preferably being formed of a ring having a gap 44 in one ,side,

as shown in Figure 11, adapted to be brought into and out of registration with the slot in the tube. A grip 45, produced by deforming the ring, may be readily grasped for manipulating the slot closer. The grip lies wholly in the plane of the ring so as to be out of the way during winding or tying of a hackle or performing other work on the fiy.

By again referring to Figure 10 it will be seen thatthe hackle has been wound on the book by means of conventional pliers 46 used in this type of work, and is ready to be tied at the front. At this point the hackle holder, with the parts in the position shown in Figure 11, may be applied to the thread and slipped over the eye of the hook tying of the quill end of the hackle to the hook.

After the hackle has been applied the tube may be backed off from the hook and thereupon the gap in the slot closer may be brought into registration with the slot in the tube to permit the device being disengaged from the hook and thread.

In the modified form of slot closer shown in Figure 12 the wire ring 41 has the gap 48 disposed diametrically opposite the grip 49 instead of in the side of the ri g, as shown in Figure 11. This relative position of the gap and grip permits the device to be quickly applied from directly above or below the thread.

In the modified form of slot closer shown in Figure 14, the wire ring 5|! hasthe gap 5| located at the single wire grip 52 and this construction is advantageous from the standpoint of simplicity since it is merely a hook.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be'fully understood without further explanation. I

What is claimed'is:

1. A holder for receiving the tying thread and" the hackle of a fish lure during manufacture of the lure, comprising a slotted tube adapted to be disposed with its slot in position to permit application of the tube laterally to the tying thread and hackle of the lure, and means for closing the slot to permit the tube forming an annulus around the hackle and thread, the tube being of suflicient diameter to deform the outstanding fibers of the hackle to a position substantially in the direction of length of the lure.

2. A holder for confining fish lure hackles out of the way during the making of the lure, comprising interfitting slotted tubes adapted to be disposed with their slots in registration to permit application of the tubes laterally to the lure, the tubes being relatively rotatable to dispose the slots out of registration and permit of the tubes being moved as a unitary annulus upon the lure to engage and press back the fibers of the hackle from outstanding position to a position substantially in the direction of length of the lure.

3. A holder for confining fish lure hackles out of the way during the making of the lure, comprising a slotted tube, and a resilient tube adapted to be snapped on to the slotted tube to close the slot thereof, the slotted tube being of sufficient diameter to engage the hackles of the lure and 7 the fibers and confine them in a bundle out of the way.

5. A holder for confining fish lure hackles out of the way during the making of the lure comprisingfa tube having a longitudinal slot, and a curved wire mounted to rotate on the tube to bridge the slot in the tube.

6. A holder for confining fish lure hackles out of the way during the making of the lure comprising, a tube having a longitudinal slot and having a circumferential groove terminating at the slot, and a split wire ring in the groove adapted to be rotated on the tube to bridge the slot. 7. A holder for confining fish lure hackles out of the way during the making of the lure comprising, a tube having a longitudinal slot, a wire ring on the tube having a gap, and a grip on the ring by which the ring may be rotated on the tube to bring the gap into and out of registration.

with the slot in the tube. 

